Controversial Polavaram project gets past main hurdle

New Delhi, June 9: The main hurdle in the completion of Andhra Pradesh's ambitious Polavaram irrigation project has been removed with the controversial dam getting formal clearance of the National Wildlife Board.

The construction of the dam on Godavari river had been mired in controversy as it would submerge 181 hectares of Pepikanda Wildlife Sanctuary. Besides, neighbouring Orissa has been strongly opposing the dam because of the political fallout of submergence of several Naxalite villages due to its construction.

The project was stuck up as, according to the Supreme Court directive, no project can be taken up in the area involving wildlife sanctuaries unless the Standing Committee of the National Wildlife Board clears it.

The National Wildlife Board at its meeting last evening accepted the report of its Standing Committee which said the harm to the wildlife in the sanctuary will be negligible. The committee Members had arrived at this conclusion in April itself, but the environmental clearance was granted formally at yesterday's meeting.

''Now the project will go to the Empowered Committee of the Supreme Court whose decision would be final,''a Member of the Standing Committee told UNI.

Not only in Orissa, but in Chhattisgarh too, tribal areas will be submerged as a result of the construction of the dam at Polavaram village on the Andhra Pradesh side of the river.

The Orissa Government has, however, secured a directive from the High Court asking the Andhra Pradesh authorities not to carry out any construction that might lead to submergence of villages in the applicant state's areas The report of the Satanding Committee accepted by the Wildlife Board yesterday says that the 181 hectare area of the sanctuary to be affected by the construction of the barrage was scattered and on slopes because of which almost no much harm would be done to the wildlife inhabiting the sanctuary.

However, according to sources in the Ministry, the clearance has been given despite some reservations expressed by the experts. In view of the experts, the area to be submerged as a result of the construction of the barrage was large and rich enough to cause a substantial harm to the flora and fauna found there. Under the Polavaram irrigation project, a barrage would be constructed across the Godavari River, some 15 km north of Rajmundhry in East Godavari district. The barrage would go to 50 feet and raise the water along the river stretch upstream in Godavari and several of its tributaries.

This would lead to submergence of area stretching along the Sabari River, a tributary to Godavari, up to the borders of Orissa and Chhattisgarh.

Orissa and Chhattisgarh governments are worried that the displacement of Tribals would seriously affect their life and they would be forced to turn into migrants labourers and slum dwellers.

The situation might lead to alienation of a large number of people from the main stream, resulting in many social and political tensions, reports from the states say.

The Polavaram project was launched by Andhra Pradesh before obtaining environmental and other statutory clearances. The Orissa Government says that despite the court stay on the project, the State Government continues to go ahead with works connected with left and right canals, arguing that the stay pertains only to the barrage part of the project, In April, the Orissa High Court cautioned the Andhra Pradesh government on the possible submergence of areas in Orissa due to raising of the height of the barrage. The Court was responding to a PIL filed by Laxman Munda, the MLA from Bonei in Sundargarh district.

The court in an interim order had said the Andhra government might go ahead with the construction after complying with the law.

UNI